A Senate panel has approved a bill that would ban people in Iowa from holding a cellphone and talking while driving.

A transportation subcommittee discussed the bill Thursday. It now moves to a full committee for consideration.

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Current law prohibits people in Iowa from reading, writing and sending messages on an electronic device while driving, though an officer must be stopping a person for a different offense in order to enforce it.

This bill would ban a person from holding a cellphone and talking while driving.

The bill would also remove the circumstances for stopping a person. The bill exempts a person using a GPS or a device in a hands-free or voice-activated mode.

The Department of Public Safety is sponsoring the bill, and it has Gov. Terry Branstad's support.